


Fights and Foes

by SacredMorningStar



Series: Commissions [4]
Category: Assassin's Creed - All Media Types, Assassin's Creed Syndicate - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Teenagers, Betrayal, F/M, Family, Family Feels, Fighting, Manipulation, Start of Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 06:37:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13541796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SacredMorningStar/pseuds/SacredMorningStar
Summary: This is a commission for Mifrifi!Marinette had spent her life just trying to prove that she could be a valued member of her family but when she falls for the target she was using and can't do what her family expects what will she do!





	1. Proving Worth

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Mifrifi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mifrifi/gifts).



> Want a story of your own!  
> Commissions are always open! Please message me for pricing!

Marinette watched the world pass by the carriage as it made its way through the city she was to call home. It seemed that ever since the moment she stepped on this new world rain had not stopped and she was already wishing to go back home in France. She knew the reason they were there, why they were travelling through a new country where they would stand out, and she could honestly say she wasn’t too keen on the idea. Her father and her brothers were part of an organisation which had taken them all over France, and now had brought them to England, yet she still felt that their ‘work’ was distasteful. Their reputation had become strong enough that just a mention of their names seemed to bring fear to her people’s eyes and she hated it because that was never something she wanted.

Her father and brothers were well known within the Assassin’s Order for the work they had done to help and seemed to be well respected; being given a wide variety of tasks. She was less known within the same organisation, she couldn’t care less about that, but what hurt her was the way her father would treat her brothers better than he ever had her. He seemed to spoil them with whatever they wanted, rewarded them for even the smallest actions, and seemed to put all his focus and attention on them leaving her on the edge of the family. Her mother wasn’t much better, her parents having met through the organisation, but she had often spent time trying to involve Marinette in the family; encouraging her to work with them. Marinette hated the feeling of being on the edge, she would still be given gifts every so often but there was something different with hers, and knew the only way to change it was to help them on one of their missions; even though she didn’t like what her family did. Working with them seemed to be the only way she could earn respect from her father and brothers and she just hoped that she could prove herself to be worthy enough of her parent’s attention.

As the carriage pulled up outside their new home she knew she had to speak with her father about how she could help. She didn’t know whether he would want her help, was sure that he would think she was being foolish, but she was desperate to earn respect from the one person that seemed to barely even look at her. The home looked beautiful, although a little cramped compared to what they were used to, and was in perfect distance to a variety of shopping districts as well as their targets. The first couple of days were focused on getting what they brought with them unpacked, learning the area, finding out any events that might help them to get close to their targets, and this was when Marinette revealed to her interest in helping her father in his mission. He had been surprised that she had come to him and asked to help but he thought that she could be useful getting access to their targets. He had heard that there was a son of a similar age to his teenage daughter in their family and thought that she could easily interest the young man. Whether she would agree to such manipulation he wasn’t sure of but if she wanted to help that was what she was going to have to do. If she could get close to the younger member of the family, then that would give them a better chance to get to the others.

She felt uncomfortable being tasked with the youngest member of the family, clearly her father expecting her to distract or influence the younger male, but she couldn’t deny that this was what she asked for. She had wanted to help and now she had a chance to live up to her father’s expectations. First, they were going to have to investigate the family, find out everything they could about the family before they tried to infiltrate, needed to find out who might have something against the family, who might be willing to share secrets with them, and who could take the blame for any attacks on the family. Although they knew the names of their targets, they didn’t know what all of them looked like and that fell to Marinette to find out. Once everything in their temporary home was organised, Marinette was sent out to explore the city and had to identify the faces of their targets. She walked through the streets asking shop clerks, people on the street, anyone she could think of about the Starricks and searched for any rumours that might prove useful.

It took her a few days, hearing from a few different people rumours and possible rivals of the family that might be willing to share useful information. She had to been able to arrange meeting with them over a few days, so she could get close to the family, had begun to hear rumours about the family, and had even identified an even that at least one of them was going to attend; making sure to pass everything she found out to her father. She heard how the family had approved of torture, how the son had even encouraged and been involved in some of the torture, how he had attacked people seemingly for no reason and all of this angered her. He had been surprised by the initiatives she had taken, the ingenuity she had shown in the mission, and yet his still didn’t believe she could carry out the entire plan. She was merely a stepping stone in his plots and he hoped that she would stay out of the way once it got to the riskier and more dangerous aspect of the mission. He encouraged her to explore the streets around their home, having been informed that the place they rented was close to the Starricks, and hoped that as she explored she would find one of them to follow.

She walked through the streets, exploring a variety of streets surrounding theirs, and had even found a small market that piqued her interest. There was a variety of hand-made products, from blankets and toys to jams and honey, and it seemed to be rather busy. She found out that the market was a monthly event, something that brought a variety of people to the street, and that it had been an extremely popular event. As she walked through the crowds, she let her mind wander, let her eyes roam over the wide variety of products on display, she hadn’t fully focused on where she was going, and her foot got caught against a stray bag making her stumble. For a moment she thought she was going to fall only to feel a pair of hands catch her and hold her up just before she hit the floor; changing that moment of panic to relief. She looked up to the figure that had caught her and was met with a concerned expression. The young man was well dressed, clearly part of one of the wealthy families in the area, with pale green eyes and well-groomed hair.

“Careful, might help to look where you’re going, maybe then you won’t fall.” His voice was soft and full of teasing as he made sure she could stand. “Are you alright? Are you new here? I’ve not seen you around before.”

“Thank you, I am alright thanks to you catching me, and I had not meant to fall.” Her heavy accent surprised the young man and made him tilt his head. “My family are on holiday and I heard the busy street. Thought I would explore the streets and see what I could find.”

“Ah I hope you’re having a pleasant time. This event is only held once a month, something special we residents love to enjoy, so you came just at the right time. If you would like, then I could show you around? I rather enjoy this market, it gives chance for us to know what people around us can make and helps support everyone around us.” He smiled brightly to her and offered his arm for her to take. “Want me to show you the best spots?”

She decided to take the offer, having the guide of someone who knew the streets would only be a benefit to her plans, and she enjoyed walking through the market with the stranger. They just took their time to walk through the streets, browsing the different little stalls that had popped up, and had just enjoyed walking through the streets together. As they walked around the different stalls Marinette couldn’t help being impressed by the variety of products on sale and as they walked together he told her about events that were going on; including the one the Starricks were attending. He made it clear he was going to be at the event, he’d hoped that the young lady he was escorting would be there, and as it started to get late she realised that it was time to head back. He had offered to take her home, to guide her back to make sure that she was safe, but she turned him down. He hoped to see her at the event, a small ball that was to celebrate how many years a hall had been, and as she walked back to her temporary home she couldn’t help thinking about what might happen to the young man she was targeting.

She had two days to ready for the ball, two days to find out just what her father expected from her, and had managed to find a dress she thought would be perfect. She had only worn the dress once before, something that had been custom made for a grand opening close to their home in France, and she hoped it would stand out within the ball. Her brothers had been scouting the area, finding out the families that were going to be attending, checking up on anything she had found out to find what was true and what were just rumours. They had been finding out even more than his sister had found, had got some useful information that had surprised them, and passed it on to their father just like she had. They had found that the rumours of his torturing, that rumour of his cruel acts, were nothing more than that. They were all just rumours to make him look bad, were just something to bring down his reputation, and had nothing to support the fact. He made sure to keep that information hidden, knowing it had caused her to hate the target, in case he could use it to get her to work better.

The night of the ball had Marinette’s stomach churning and tossing. Her mother had helped her with her hair, with accessories, had even arranged a carriage to take her to the hall the ball, and she was to go this alone. She was anxious, unsure of what to expect at the ball, and as the carriage pulled outside their home she only felt that anxiety bed deeper. The carriage ride through the streets helped to soothe her a little, looking at the busy streets she passed by, before noticing the number of carriages increase and a hall light up brightly. The building looked beautiful, seemed to have a sparkle within the stonework, and saw the beautiful decorations that hung along the entrance making it stand out even more.

She walked into the hall managing to keep a confident mask on her face. The ball was clearly very popular, and she couldn’t help letting her eyes roam over the wide variety of colour in the room. The music flowed through the hall, dancers moved to the rhythm of the music, changed partners every so often, and she slowly moved down the stairs to walk through the crowd. She looked around the faces in the room, wondering who was the young Starrick, and as she walked through the crowd there was one face that was familiar to her. The young man from the streets was stood talking to a few men and when he spotted her he seemed to smile brightly. He excused himself from the group politely and headed straight towards her; glad to see her there. He walked with her through the crowds and guided he onto the dancing space as a new piece of music began to fill the room.

The pair began to move around the room carefully, joined in the dance looking almost as if they had practised for weeks, and he couldn’t keep the soft smile off his face as they flowed together. As they danced they spoke about a variety of topics, from their travels, to what she’s been enjoying while here, to where they had both grown up in their younger years. He had confessed to her that he had hoped to see her, that he had been looking forward to the chance to dance with her, and that he had been worried she wouldn’t come so to see her there had helped him relax. Slowly the music came to an end and he escorted her off the dance floor to the side where they could sit and talk more. She enjoyed sitting with him, enjoyed talking with him, was pleased to have someone so patient with her, but her eyes still roamed the room trying to figure out just who Crawford could be. It seemed her question would be answered though as an older gentleman walked towards them clearly recognising the younger man. 

“Master Starrick, it’s an honour to have you join us, I hope you are enjoying yourself in the festivities.” The older gentleman smiled brightly to the younger man before waving to a young man at his side; not much older than either Marinette or Crawford. “Micheal Richards, this is Crawford Starrick, son of Sebastian Starrick, heir to Starrick Industries and someone you should converse with.”

Marinette felt a chill run down her spine realising that the young man who had helped her, who had been so kind and gentle with her was the target her father had given her. She couldn’t help staring at him, trying to figure out just what was going on, and how the man that she had heard was so cruel and violent was so kind and gentle with her.


	2. Proving Worth

Marinette still felt that edge of doubt deep within her gut as the carriage took her home from the event. She had danced with a man who was supposedly cruel and vile, who had permitted and helped with torture, had been so kind and gentle with her and had taken time to help her not even knowing who she was. She wondered whether everything that she had been hearing about the young man was true, whether the rumours she had dug up were just myth, and she wondered just what her father was expecting her to do once she had gotten close to the young man. She was so deep in thought that she hadn’t realised the carriage had pulled up outside her temporary home until a doorman cleared his throat to break her out of her thoughts. As she walked towards the home she couldn’t help feeling that someone’s eyes were on her. As soon as she stepped into the building, her father called for her to join him in the study. He had sent one of his boys to follow her, to check she was doing what she was supposed to, and he had come back just before she had left the event to pass on what he had seen. 

Marinette was nervous, not sure if her father was angry with her, was happy with her, or just wanted to find out more about those attending the event. She followed him into the room, hearing the slam of the door shut behind her, and could see a look in his eyes she couldn’t quite read. He seemed frustrated, irritated, unable to stay still as he moved to sit down by his desk.

“So, it seems you finally came through for me my darling daughter. It seems you have managed to gain the interest of the young man, now I wonder if you would be able to continue. You have just started to show some loyalty and some usefulness and already I can see the doubt in your eyes when you have barely done anything.” André rested his head in his hands as he spoke glaring dangerously at his daughter. “Are you going to be reliable? Are you going to keep working with us? Or are you going to give in to weakness and cowardice? You know that family is dangerous and cruel, and I should hope you don’t forget that.”

“No father, I swear I won’t, I promised not to disappoint you and I won’t. I will stay close to him, I will get close to the family like you asked of me, I will find his weakness and get you inside, I swear.” She was terrified of disappointing and angering him; not sure what he would do to her. “I can find his weakness and I will get you in there, I promise.”

André was sceptical of her words and was almost certain she wasn’t able of carry out what was needed to be done but she could at least be of use to get into the home of their target. He would make sure that she was going meet him again, that she was going to fulfil her role and could see the determination in her eyes. He hoped that she could live up to the determination but for now he just believed her and allowed her to go to her room to rest for the night. He would let her rest for the night and then over the next few days she was going to spend more time trying to build her bond with the younger Starrick to live up to his expectations. She had been encouraged to spend as much time with the young target as she could to increase the chances of getting inside the Starrick home as soon as she could.

A small circus had come to the city, taking residence in a nearby park, and Crawford was excited to treat the young woman to the performance. The time they had been spending together had been filled with easy conversations, comfortable silences, wonderful meals and almost a different life to what Marinette had been used to. She had enjoyed the normality of being with him, she had never felt wanted before, never felt like anyone had needed her before, and now her target was the one to make her feel cared for. When he came to meet her, she couldn’t help feeling excited, feeling joy that he had come to see her, and she met him at the door ready for their day out. As she slipped out the door, she felt her father’s gaze burning against her back, but she pushed the feeling away and followed the young Starrick into the carriage he had waiting outside for them. As the carriage took them through the streets she noticed stalls on the sides of the road and crowds began to fill remaining space. She hadn’t known when they were going until she saw the banners and posters that were hung up along the streets and she couldn’t help the way she shifted in the carriage excited to see the show.

Crawford watched her with a warm smile, seeing the excitement on her face, the way her eyes roamed over everything around them, and he asked for the carriage to stop so they could walk through the streets which she seemed to enjoy. She was surprised when he had the carriage stopped and invited her to join him on walking through the pop-up market. It seemed that the noisy streets had been the one place that they both felt most relaxed and as they walked around he couldn’t help buying her a warm scarf that matched her dress, food that she had stopped and commented on the smell of, and even bought her a small hair pin decorated with mother of pearl. They were small things but they made her feel good and everything that they were doing together had her doubting just what she believed. She couldn’t understand how someone, who had always been so kind and sweet to her and others around them, could also help and approve of torture and beatings and violence that she had heard about. She began to doubt herself, began to doubt what her father kept telling her again and again, and couldn’t help looking at the young Starrick with hopeful eyes; desperate to know that Crawford was the kind man she was seeing. She walked through the streets, holding the scarf close to her, and let her eyes wander until she spotted her oldest bother in the crowd. She felt a chill running down her spine as their eyes met and she quickly tried to encourage Crawford to walk into the busier parts of the market. She knew it would be difficult to lose him, but she wanted to keep that normalcy for just a few moments longer, so that she could just live in the fairy tale her mind had made for just a little longer, and she acted like she had spotted something exciting deeper within the market.

She pulled him through the busy streets and was glad to lose sight of her brother in the sea of faces around her. She hated that he was stalking them, that she was being put under constant watch, and that her father didn’t even bother to give her a chance. She knew that she could never be seen as a favoured child, that her parents probably wouldn’t care if she had become one of their targets, she was sure that they wouldn’t care as they sunk a bullet or blade into her, and it hurt to think they never seemed to care no matter how hard she had worked for them. She knew she couldn’t tell Crawford about her family, about the danger he was in, fearing the repercussions, and in her heart, she knew she couldn’t let Crawford become another victim of theirs. She was going to wait a few more days to tell him, when she was sure he would understand what she had done and when she knew he could take the chance to defend himself. As they walked through the crowds they began to head towards the park where the circus was, but they headed to a quieter section of the park to enjoy the peace before they enjoyed the show. They took their time walking through the park, Crawford’s eyes roaming over the park and the buildings around them, but his mind for that moment seemed to be somewhere else.

“Marinette, if there was one thing you could do, what would it be? What would you be willing to give up?” He had stopped and his eyes looked over to a crumbling factory that had been empty for a year. “I want to help, I want to make this place stronger, to make it better, to use the money my family have to give everyone here a better chance. There are so many families here who I’ve seen work hard, I’ve watched them begin to build their own business and make a name for themselves, but I’ve seen it taken away from them for no reason too. I’ve watched families crumble because some other power, some secret group that couldn’t care less, just decided to tear apart someone’s hard work and dreams. I’ve heard they’re trying to soil my good name with vile rumours, that there are people trying to hunt my family down even after the hard work I’ve done building the markets and helping those streets, and I’m wondering just how much I’m going to have to give up, how much of my money, my time, maybe even my life, in order to prove these people wrong.”

She could see the passion in his eyes, see the way he was desperate to prove himself, to make a name for himself, and knew he could see the needs for all his people. She had believed him to be ignorant of the needs of his people, had thought he was nothing more than a violent and cruel minion of a family, but looking at him now and seeing how frustrated he was only made the doubt in her parents even stronger. He seemed hurt and angry at the thought of the people that were around him struggling and losing out and he clearly had a passion to help. Seeing this made her swear she would tell him, she would let him know why she was here, what she was there for, why she was so keen to spend so much time with him. She knew he would hate her, how could he not after what she was part of, but she hoped she could make it up to him. She feared he was in danger and that there was something more behind her getting involved, especially with her family’s past, but she had sworn to her father to help and now she didn’t know what to do.

“Sometimes the people we have to prove ourselves to, don’t matter. Sometimes they are just people who are always out to get you no matter what you do or how hard you try. Some people are just an obstacle to something better and you just have to climb over them to see just what they lead you to.” She felt a little of herself in those words, trying to prove herself to a family she doubted would really care, but she knew she could never face them. “Sometimes you just have to be the better man and then you’ll know who your friends are because they aren’t the ones trying to drag you down to their level.” 

Crawford was stunned by her words, caught off guard by the depth and honesty in them, and he took a moment to apologise for ruining their good mood. He hadn’t meant to bring the mood down, but he couldn’t help that moment of frustration and anger and he felt guilty for putting that weight on her shoulders a moment. He listened as the circus seemed to be coming to life and offered his arm to Marinette again for them to walk together towards the circus entrance. They were mesmerised by the show, by the talents, by the animals that performed perfectly to the command of their trainers. It was an amazing sight, something mesmerising that just took their breaths away, and the stunning show managed to pull both of them out of their dark thoughts for just a little while. They watched the show, the daring feats with bated breath, and joined the crowds with their cheers as the performers landed their tricks or the beast tamers finished their acts. She enjoyed herself as she watched the show but as it ended that deep dread clung to the pit of her stomach.

Once the show was over he escorted her out of the event talking excitedly about his favourite parts of the show and making her laugh with the impressions he had been doing. He had made sure to take her home, made sure she was safe in his eyes, and hoped to see her again soon as his own father had expressed an interest in meeting her. Knowing that she was one step closer to being at the heart of the family only made her more uncertain of what to do. She feared what her father might do to her in anger, what her brothers would do to her in betrayal, what they would be willing to do to punish her for her actions, but her gut told her she couldn’t carry out this plot. She couldn’t continue this attack, this intrusion without him knowing the whole truth and why the rumours had spread as far and fast as they had.

She walked into the home with stride of confidence, kept her head high as she stormed through the home, past her brother, and into her father’s study with a slam of the door. She needed to face him, to clarify his understanding of her target, to see just what he would tell her to keep her working. He had been surprised to see her walk in with such confidence in herself, to see her meet his gaze without that hint of nervousness, and it had been impressed with her for a moment; even questioning his doubt in her.

“Do you know about Crawford? About the young man you’ve tasked me to follow? Do you know what his ambitions are and what he hopes to build?” Her words were sharp and her eyes filled with determined challenge. “Do you just believe every small detail _they_ tell you or do you actually take some time to think about who you are hunting?” 

“It is not our job to understand why they are who we must target, we simply follow their commands, they tell us who to kill and the why shouldn’t matter. Don’t tell me that boy has been pulling at your heartstrings! Weren’t you the one who came to me with his cruel doings? Do you really think a family like his, who take all the wealth for themselves, would care for the people around them? Would honestly help the people around them when they haven’t already?” André matched the challenge; squaring up to her and towering over her with a stern gaze.

She held his gaze, keeping firm and glaring back, but she couldn’t hold onto it much longer. She knew he wouldn’t give in, knew he wouldn’t listen to her, but she couldn’t take being the weakling daughter any more. She couldn’t stand by and let her father destroy an innocent family, or at least a member of a family that could do good, not when she knew more about them now and was a part of them.

“I knew I couldn’t rely on you, I knew I couldn’t trust you, you were nothing more than a way in. To think I had a moment there where I believed you might be capable of taking on a higher potential.” His words stung, knowing she could never be enough, and she couldn’t stay there.


	3. Confessions

Marinette was furious at what her father was doing, at the way he didn’t seemed to care about what they were doing, and how he seemed to have lost any form of guilt for what he was doing. She knew she wouldn’t be safe staying with them now that they knew she was doubting them, but she didn’t know where to turn to. She would have to take time on her own to be able to find out about both families, to learn more about the organisation that helped he family and learn about any work the Starricks had done. She still feared Crawford’s reaction, not wanting him to hate her, but she knew she had to tell him he was in danger once she was sure he would believe her.

She had gone for a walk to clear her head, to try and get the anger out of her, taking her belongings with her; or at least what she could carry. She didn’t trust her family to keep her safe any longer, she knew she would have to look after herself, and she was going to make sure that whatever happened Crawford and his family knew the danger. In her walk she took her time to scout the area, to look for safe places to hide if she needed to run from her brothers, and even managed to find a small inn she could stay in for a few days to gather what she needed. She lay low, only going out of the room to get food and drink from a market, mostly something she could eat easily without having to cook to much, or she would eat at the bar below; enjoying the home-made food there. She avoided her family as much a she could and even avoided speaking with Crawford as she tried to figure out just what was going on. Over the few days she had at the inn she had managed to find out about a few families Crawford had helped and now she thought to speak to them and find out more.

Her time at the inn was up, she had used what she could to get the room and now just had her belongings; she couldn’t get much money without her father getting more furious with her. She gathered everything she owned from that room into a bag and once again stepped out onto those now familiar streets with an err of caution. She didn’t know if she was being followed or if her brothers knew where she was, but she had to be careful even if they didn’t yet. She knew how to fight, that was one thing her father had made sure of, so she couldn’t be used against the family as a bargaining tool, and she could defend herself from her brothers if they were sent to attack her, but she wasn’t sure if she could kill them. That had always been the one thing she couldn’t face, death was not something she wanted to cause even if it meant that she got to survive. She knew this was where her father’s doubt came in, but she couldn’t help caring for the lives of others and putting them above her own.

She stayed alert, looking around where she could to check for any signs of her family being close, as she investigated the Starrick family deeper. She visited the families that they had helped, asked them about what they did and why they believed it happened, spent the day listening to everyone around her and asking them what they thought of the family. Some were mixed, having heard the rumours and believed them to be true, some hated them, either they were the source of the rumours or knew who was, but most, most seemed to have a respect and adoration for the family and their business. It seemed they had hired locals at first, helping those who needed it close by, before reaching out for others. They were working hard to improve the area around them and make it more prosperous, supporting the markets and local shops, and knowing from the people what they were doing only made Marinette more furious.

She had not only been researching about the Starricks but also the Order of Assassins which her father had support from. She knew that there might not be much to find but she hoped that what she could find would shed a little light on what this group meant. She had found rumours and hushed whispers that hinted the organisation was much more dangerous, that their actions were more self-serving than what people believed, and that some of the targets from the organisation, although varied, weren’t just cruel and cold; many were advocates within their community who had done vast amounts of good. Finding what she had, only made her more furious with her parents at just giving in to the orders of people who they never really met or knew and not caring for what good their targets could do.

 It was turning to early evening when she finally decided she was ready to face Crawford and confess to him everything that had been going on. She was scared, worrying that he would hate her and turn her away for what she did, but she couldn’t stand back and let it happen. His home was across from Saint James’ Park in one of the larger, grander homes. It towered above he as she stood across the street to build her courage to speak with him, hoping he would trust and believe in her. She looked around her one last time, checking for her brothers, before she steeled herself and took the step towards the building hoping he could see her and speak with her. She had ignored his invitation to the meal with his family, had hoped she could be forgiven, and was determined to finish her task. She knocked on the door apprehensively and felt dread in the pit of her stomach as it opened, and a doorman questioned her; not recognising her. She asked to see Crawford, desperately praying that she could get or at least go for a walk with him to tell him about what was going on. She stayed in the doorway, seeing the way the doorman looked to her, but when Crawford came down he couldn’t help the surprised expression on his face. He quickly invited her to follow him into the house, still under the suspicious gaze of the doorman, and led her into a study close to the right of the entrance.

“Why are you here? Why after you ignored my invitation, ignored my family, and seemed to disappear into the unknown?” Crawford’s words were laced with caution and anger; maybe even a little heart ache. “You went from contacting me daily to disappearing and it seemed you family had been desperate to see you too. They did not know where you went and feared someone had taken you, but you arrive here unharmed but clearly with something bothering you.”

“I left them Crawford, I…I can’t keep living a lie when it hurts too much. The time we’ve been spending together has been the best I’ve ever had. You’ve made me feel special, made me feel wanted, made my time here enjoyable when I believed it would be tiresome and frustrating. You finally made my doubt in my family grow, made me see just what my family were doing and how wrong it was and now I…I don’t know what you’re going to think of me.” She could barely look at him as she spoke; her doubts slowly rising at his gaze. “You finally gave me the courage to face the one person I never truly could, but in doing so I fear I’ve signed a death warrant for both of us.”

His eyes stayed on her, stayed focused and refused to move away, but his expression seemed to slowly change. He had sat by a desk, letting her sit in a chair by the window to keep at least some distance between them as he listened to her. He watched her carefully, gaguing her reactions and trying to see what she was saying, and could tell there was something more behind her words.

“It seems my family is set on targeting yours. No matter what I find about you, no matter how much good you seem to do, it didn’t seem to matter what I tell them. They still wanted me to follow you and…and become part of the fold I guess. They…I think they were going to have you all killed, they were going to use my connection to you to get into here, to murder all of you, because they were told to.” She finally looked over to him and could see the anger and betrayal in his eyes.

“You were with me because they told you to be, weren’t you? Did any of it mean anything to you? Did any of the things I did with you actually mean anything?! Were you just playing the role your family demanded?” He snarled and clenched at the arms of the chair he was in. “Was I just a tool for some game?! Was this all just some game, to play with me as a cat does with a mouse, a way to entertain yourself to do what daddy ordered?!”

“At first, I was…was just doing what my father told me to do, he brought us here for this, this was why we were here. I just thought, I was told you and your family, that you were all cruel, that you were nasty and…and doing this was helping to remove cruel people from the world but…but as we spent time together I learned that was wrong. I…I began to see the real you and I heard the good you did, but my old man…he…he just decided to ignore that. Says that it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re a target.” She could see the anger in his eyes, the hate and the frustration, and it hurt to see his hate directed towards her. “I couldn’t let that happen! I…I’d never been part of the jobs, was just a daughter brought along to act as a cover, but…but this time I…I thought it could be easy, just wanted him to treat me like my brothers, wanted some respect from all of them, but…I just…” She could feel all the emotions she had been trying to keep buried overwhelm her and it seemed reality finally seemed to hit her. “I just wanted to be part of the family.”

Tears filled her eyes and finally rolled down her cheeks as all her emotions overwhelmed her. She knew she would be a target now, was sure her father would be aware that she had come to help the family, but she didn’t know when they would plan to attack and just hoped she could prove herself to Crawford; hopefully being able to stay there with them. She feared just what might happen, whether she would be kicked out seemed to be a reality, until Crawford’s father came into the room hearing the shouting. He had wondered what had both so on edge in such different ways when he saw their positions and wondered who the young woman was within his home.

“It seems I may have intruded but I heard shouting and thought I would investigate. Now Crawford, why is such a lovely woman crying in front of you in such manner and why might you be shouting so loud that I can hear you from the floor above.” His father’s voice was filled with concern and caution.

“This _was_ the young woman I was going to bring to that meal, the one who suddenly ignored me and had disappeared as if I didn’t matter. It seems there was more that she was hiding from me than I thought and only now decided to inform me of her true intentions of speaking with me, of what her family have plotted against us, and how we are in danger because of her.” Crawford couldn’t bear to look at her as he spoke and pointed at her accusatorily. “Only now does she decide to tell me that she was spending so much time with me because her father had told her to, I bet it was her family who helped spread those vile and cruel rumours that seem to be growing in strength around here. I worked so hard and no matter how much good I do someone always seems to drag me down. I can’t take it anymore, knowing it seemed the world is against me for no reason!”

His father looked between the two of them and he tilted his head a little as he thought about what his son was saying and the look of shame on Marinette’s face. It was clear she regretted what she had done, maybe even wished they hadn’t met so it wouldn’t have come to this, and he wondered just what was going through her mind as she looked to his son.

“Crawford, it appears you are looking at this at face value without looking at the woman at fault. Something more seems to be clouding that mind of yours, a mind I know sees more than most, and that you are either ignoring or unwilling to face a possible truth that is standing right in front of you.” His voice was calm and seemed to breach through the anger of his son; making him finally look at her properly noticing the bag on her arm. “Perhaps there is more to why she followed her father’s actions? Perhaps this man is not just a simple father, remember that I had informed you of some suspicions I had, maybe these are linked.” 

There was still tension in the room, but it seemed that Crawford had paused to think a moment rather than let his anger get the best of him in front of his father. He hadn’t meant to snap, hadn’t meant to speak to her, about herm like that, as that was not what he was taught, but it seemed his emotions had got the better of him for just a moment. Now he had stopped to think he took in her standing in front of him looking a little nervous and unsure of herself as she stood in the room. She rubbed at her arms, clung to the bag at her shoulder, seemed just a little darker under her eyes than she had been, small things that could mean so much more. She way she looked between them was like a trapped foal, fearful of touch without its mother to guide it, and he wondered if she would bolt in such a way if they got too close to her. He watched as his father waved her over, out of the office space, and into a lounge across the hall; calling his son just after to try and help everyone relax. It seemed the evening was going to be longer than any of them had expected and this was just the beginning of whatever she had brought.


	4. Protecting the Enemy

Marinette knew she had a lot to make up for, for what she had done under her father’s orders. She had explained everything, why she had followed her father’s commands, why she hadn’t investigated before she acted, and just hoped that they could give her a chance to make up for what she had done. She wanted to protect them now that she knew the danger they were in, not caring if it meant she get hurt in the process and was desperate to find out more about why the Starricks had been chosen as a target. She was never told why they were the target, believing the rumours were the reason, and feared just how far her father was willing to go to complete the task. Crawford watched her suspiciously, keeping distance between them as he listened to her speaking, and he could see that she regretted everything that had happened. He wasn’t yet ready to forgive her for everything she had done, still not sure how much of it was real for her, but he was beginning to understand why. He could see how desperate she was just to please her father and could tell how much it hurt her to be seen the way she had been; hating the idea that his own father would treat him in such a way.

She was invited to stay for the night and to join them for a meal offering to keep her safe as she had confessed what she had to them. Sebastian, Crawford’s father, understood the danger it had put her in to confess what she had, and it just confirmed suspicions he had after being informed that he had been made a target. He knew he had to keep her safe, her life now in his hands as far as he knew, so he offered her a room for as long as she needed. He was glad for her confessions to them as it allowed him to have his own men investigate further now that he knew just where the threat was coming from. Word of the family’s actions spread through the Templar Order, but their appearance had been unknown at the time as it seemed, as quickly as they appeared, they vanished. He had a chance now to eliminate a dangerous rival, to remove a family that had been a pain in the Templar’s side for a few years, and to even rub it in their face that one of their own had turned against them. That was for later though, when she was more settled and understood what her information would mean, for now it was better to let her settle for the night; otherwise she might run before he could use her.

The meal was tense, Marinette still feeling guilty for the danger she had put them in and for the betrayal, but Sebastian had tried to help by encouraging the pair to talk. She was making up for her mistakes and was going to be under their protection no matter what Crawford thought of her for now. He encouraged her to talk about the places she had seen, any hobbies she had or wished she could have, and had tried to get his son to see more than just the betrayal against him. She had found out that he played the piano, that he was already starting to prove a sensible businessman, and his future looked to be extremely bright. When the meal was over Marinette was taken to what would be her room, which was well furnished and smelled faintly of fresh flowers, and she took time to put her belongings away. It was getting late, everything she had done in the day finally catching up to her, and she got herself ready for sleep. It seemed that night that sleep was evading her, making it difficult for her to rest properly, as it seemed just as she would drift off something would startle her from sleep. Throughout the night she couldn’t help feeling the guilt deep in her gut, still wanting to prove she wanted to help, and spent the time awake questioning her actions and everything she had done with her family.

As dawn broke she gave up on trying to sleep, only getting at most two hours of rest, and spent the time awake before staff came to make note of everything she thought Sebastian and his men would need to know to keep them safe. She hadn’t realised it but through the night a guard had come to stand outside her door and guards were outside the building to make sure that she didn’t leave the room as an attempt to attack the family; still suspicious of her. It was only when one of the guards outside noticed that she was awake, moving the curtain to watch the sunrise over the city, and he had seen a maid move through the house, had he left his guard post. Sebastian had slept but was up early like always to go through business documents and had noticed the light filtering under her door. He had wondered why the guard still wasn’t there until he saw the maid working on cleaning the hall; clearly keeping an eye on their guest leaving the room.

He had a change of plans for that morning once he saw that sliver of light and knocked on to invite her to breakfast with him to give them time to talk without Crawford which might make it easier for her to focus. The pair spent those few early hours, before the others woke, discussing everything André knew about the family, about their business, about their son, but also the way her brothers fought, the training they had been through, the most likely means of attack. She offered the note she had been working on, giving her family’s address here, any routines the family had, and the weapons the family had; willing to use everything they had. She took her time to go through everything with the head of the family who was keeping her safe, was told that she would have guards escort her to keep her safe, merely a pretence, and was asked to take Crawford out in the day to make sure he didn’t shut himself in all day.

“He cares for you Marinette, you were a new person who didn’t appear to care for his family reputation and then he finds out that’s why you were with him. It hurts to find out that a person you thought you could trust were just using you. Give him time and he will come back around.” Sebastian spoke sweetly to her and smiled giving her just a little bit of hope. “If he doesn’t I will talk with him.”

Sebastian had to leave not long after, having passed information they had discussed to one of his men, but he had taken her to their small library to keep herself occupied while the rest of the house slept. She hadn’t known how long she had been reading for but when Crawford came to see her he had paused in the doorway a moment to watch her. His father had spoken with him late the previous night asking him to take her around the streets with a few guards as away to possibly draw out the family into an early attack; agitating them with her as his side. He’d reluctantly agreed to using her in such a way, thinking for a moment it was payback, but also hoped that now everything was in the open they could finally get to know each other properly. There wasn’t any need for her to be around him, other than to protect him, to please someone so now they could focus on just being themselves rather than trying to please anyone.

She had been so absorbed in her book that she hadn’t realised Crawford was watching her from the doorway until he cleared his throat. He chuckled softly at the way she jumped before asking her to get ready as they had a busy day ahead of them. He had a wide variety of jobs to get done, including picking up packages, meeting some business partners, and general shopping they needed, so they needed to start their day as soon as they could. Walking through the streets together felt like old times, felt like the start of something better might just be within reach, and she seemed happy to help as they walked through the streets; guards close behind them as they moved through the streets. They had collected the package and began browsing nearby shops, relaxing with one another as the day passed, with smiles on their faces as they began to get more comfortable with each other. The meetings weren’t long away but it seemed they had managed to put some of the doubts to rest the longer they spent together.

Crawford had thought that he would find it hard to relax around her again but was glad he had been proven wrong by the ease in which he fell back into their routine. They walked through the streets side by side, carrying the packages they had collected, and he couldn’t help wanting to give her items she stopped and looked at. She felt the same for him, seeing where his eyes would drift and linger, wanting to get him the things he wanted as a way to apologise. As they walked through the streets that had been getting familiar she felt like she was being watched in the distance. She felt like there were cruel, cold eyes on her, and it made her look through the crowds for who might be watching. Every carriage that went past, every face in the crowd, every merchant at every stall, her eyes didn’t miss anyone until she noticed a face in a shop window staring at them. She felt a chill run down her spine as those cold eyes focused on them and she recognised the face as the shine of the glass moved.

“He’s there, one of my brothers, he’s watching us from the shop window. I bet the other’s out there somewhere too but maybe he’s holding back to make sure I don’t catch both of them.” She stayed close to him and acted as if she was smiling as she spoke; acting as if she never saw him. “So, we must keep an eye out for them. I’ll let you and your men know if they come any closer but they’re watching us and I know one of them won’t miss out on an opportunity they might have in front of them.” 

He didn’t look around, keeping up the illusion they weren’t aware of them and trusted her to look out for them. They walked further through the streets and she had spotted one of her brother’s following them, slowly getting closer and closer through the crowds, and when she felt he was getting close to attacking she let the guards around them know who in the crowds to look for. He tried to weave through, spotting a possible chance to attack and eliminate them both, only for that chance to fade in moments as a group of guards surrounded him and captured him; taking him to them but keeping a distance between them.

“You’re a traitor! You’re a disgusting traitor! Father was right to think you could never be worthy of the Dubois name. How could you think you could go against him and not expect any kind of punishment?” Her brother fought against the men holding him letting out a frustrated growl. “You’re pathetic, a weakling with nothing to give to anyone, and you’re on everyone’s list now; he’s spread your name as far as it will go so you better watch your neck.”

Marinette could feel her heart breaking at the thought her family wanted her dead, how her father had given up on her just because she hadn’t wanted someone to be killed. It hurt to see just how much her brother hated her as well and she wondered just what her mother thought of her and whether she was being pulled into it. She fought against tears that burned the back of her eyes, desperate not to show how much it hurt to learn what was going to happen and clenched her fists in frustration.

“She won’t have to watch her neck, you think they’re just for show or something?” Crawford pointed to the men holding him tightly. “This is just a small number of who we have access to, so I wouldn’t be making threats like that when you’re in such a weak position. She’s in somewhere safe, with people who know this place better than you and have better connections here than you father ever could, so I wouldn’t even try if I were you.”

Marinette was stunned at the way Crawford defended her, the way he moved himself just a little in front of her to keep her safer, and she couldn’t help the small smile that came to her face at the thought he was defending her. She watched the way her brother’s expression fell a little, looking between his sister and the target, before he used all his might to break free from the grasp of the guards around him; only just managing to get a couple off their feet to gain the advantage. When he broke free he swore to get her, swore she would pay for the betrayal, and he would make sure of it personally. He ran off through the crowds and Marinette watched him run off with her heart breaking.

“I guess I was right, my father only cared for me for as long as I could be of use to him, but my brothers…I hadn’t thought they would be drawn in so fast; I was hoping maybe they would stop and try to understand.” Her gaze focused on the last place she’d seen her brother and finally it seemed the tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Just because you were right about what you believed doesn’t mean you have to let it consume you. From what I heard last night, it doesn’t seem like your father or brothers cared much about you, and you’re still this strong without them.” Crawford lay a hand on her shoulder as he watched her cry a moment. “You can be strong without them, why let them drag you down when you’re clearly so powerful, but I understand that it hurts to see your family hate you and fall apart around you.”


	5. Start of Something New

Marinette still felt the ache in her chest at the thought of her family hating her but feeling Crawford’s support helped soothe her. She hadn’t really known how she would react to seeing her family, hoping that she was wrong about what her father would do, but feeling heartbroken wasn’t something she expected. She had expected anger, frustration, betrayal, everything but being hurt or broken were a complete surprise. Crawford had managed to pull her out of her thoughts a moment and now seemed to finally see the danger she put herself in to save them. He knew he couldn’t let her bury herself in dark thoughts, not when they were so exposed, and he worked to distract her with their other jobs before they would go back to his home to talk about what happened. He could see there was a change in her, she seemed a little quieter and a little more distant that she had been, but she was doing what he was asking and there were still moments where she seemed to forget what had happened.

Crawford had meetings still to attend but he knew that she wasn’t in a state to come to the meeting with him; originally planning to have her sit at a nearby table in the restaurant they were meeting at. He had taken her back to his home, guards staying with her so she wasn’t alone, giving her time to try and calm down before he left; hoping when he came back they could talk about it. Although she wasn’t alone in the building, she was left to her thoughts she didn’t want to think about. She couldn’t help feeling the knot in her gut tighten at the thought of them all being in danger, at the way her brother spoke to her, at the realisation they were abandoning her just because she was doing what she thought was right. Before her thoughts ran away with her, she tucked herself away in the library to let her mind get lost in the world on the pages. She had managed to pull herself out of the dark thoughts as she read through the pages of the book in her hands and had lost track of time within the library until music began to flow through the building. It pulled her out of the story slowly, bringing her back to the real world soothingly, and piqued her interest. She followed the sound, a sweet song filled with a variety of emotions, and found the room with the door ajar.

Crawford was sat at the piano, no music on the stand, the skill seeming effortless as he played the song from memory. She watched him from the doorway at first, not wanting to break the spell that seemed to take hold, until the music came to an end and slowly began to fade. She was stunned by his skills, clearly having played for years and seemingly enjoyed playing, and walked over to him slowly as he just stared at the piano in front of him frustrated by something.

“That was amazing, I would love to play like that, you…you were mesmerising.” Her voice was soft, still in awe of his playing, and he turned to her; his smile not quite reaching her eyes.

“No need for flattery, it is just playing, I find it can help calm me but it didn’t seem to be working this time.” He replied looking back at the piano holding his head in his hand; his elbow resting against the piano.

“Maybe talking about whatever’s got you wound up might help?” She moved to sit down beside him on the stool a soft smile on her face. “Then maybe you could show me another song you can play.”

“The meeting was hell, one of the hardest yet, seems the rumours your family have spread further and further. The men that I was meeting with had heard them, have argued and confronted me about them, have refused to make a deal with me unless my father is there with me.” He refused to look at her as he spoke and sat up a little more with a frustrated sigh. “Father expects me to be perfect with the business, expects me to make everything perfect, wants it to run so damn smoothly but whenever I get close it seems something comes rushing in to change that. I know this isn’t all your fault, I know you didn’t mean it, but it hurts to have all my hard work thrown back in my face when it’s not true.”

He ran his hand over his beard as he thought about what was going on, about the hard work he had been putting into the business that could be for naught, about the reputations that seemed to be spreading and getting worse each time he heard them. He closed his eyes tightly as he tried to stop thinking about everything before he felt the hand lay on his shoulder, rubbing his back gently, before his eyes turn to her; just a little darker than they were before. She rubbed his back slowly, trying to soothe him, and looked to the piano.

“You know you’re better than that, that they are wrong and that you can prove them wrong if you want to, but maybe we should distract you from all that for now. Might be better to talk with your father about that, he might be able to give you some advice, and I promise to protect you seeing as it’s my family’s fault that it’s been getting so bad.” She turned to the piano and smiled. “Maybe you could teach me to play a little? I’d love to learn if you’d be willing to teach me.”

He took a moment and smiled before he slowly began to talk her through just a simple song. It was an early song he was taught to help him remember the order of the keys and how to play them. He enjoyed watching her as she slowly tried to follow him and played along to what he was playing with a smile. The pair seemed to relax more as the music played and it was the first time in a long time where he had forgotten everything with his family, the business, being a Starrick, and just enjoyed doing what he loved. He seemed to gain some of she light in his eyes he had lost, laughed and teased her as he tried to teach her how to play, enjoyed himself as he watched her playing progress. They had spent hours playing together, with her able to play the song slowly, when Sebastian came into the room to check on them. He had heard about the meeting, about what they had said to him, and he had wanted to see how his son was coping with it. He knew not all the meetings would work, that he couldn’t always get the deal they wanted, but he knew he always seemed to take it to heart when something went wrong at one of the meetings.

“It seems you two are having a nice time.” Sebastian’s cheerful voice startled them both. “Crawford, I heard about today, just know I don’t fault you for it as I know you tried hard, we will just have to see what comes of it and whether they will hold to their word and speak with me. I have also increased the patrols after hearing about the Dubois son attacking you but that shouldn’t affect you too much other than seeing more guards around the house and nearby streets. I guess I shall leave you both to get back to what you were doing.”

Sebastian’s tone was clearly playful and he slipped out of the room going to the office to finally go through the paperwork he had meant to this morning; missing the awkward reaction from his son at his teasing. Crawford rolled his eyes a little and scoffed softly as he tried to ignore the hinting his father seemed to believe was there.

Over the next few weeks the pair’s bond had grown much closer. They had spent time together in the library, Marinette reading books while Crawford worked on documents, meals were much easier as they spoke easily with the other now, played the piano side by side and enjoyed the way Marinette’s playing got better and better the more she played. Crawford had seen what training she had and had even asked her father if they could improve her fighting so she could defend herself if something happened. The feelings he had about her had never really left but now they seemed to be stronger than before especially after she had written a note for him. She had spent time writing a note specially for him confessing her feelings for him, confessing everything she had done wrong to hurt him, confessing everything she was willing to do to make up for what she had done wrong, but also how much she had enjoyed their time together and how she hoped it could last. When more rumours, much stranger and darker rumours, seemed to appear out of nowhere and Marinette could see that it was affecting him. People seemed to be believing the rumours more than him and he couldn’t take it. She had seen how it was affecting him, how the rumours seemed to darken his bright eyes or how he seemed to be a lot more irritable and short tempered than before. She believed she knew who had spread the rumours and had planned to face him and make him stop, demand them to go home, make them realise it was a futile attempt to continue their crusade as it would only end poorly for them.

She had gone to confront her family, to find her brothers and father and demand them stop what they were doing; although she doubted they would listen. She had guards with her, men that were asked to keep her safe, but what she didn’t realise was that Crawford had seen her leaving and followed her through the streets. When he first saw her going towards her family home he began to question everything again but that soon changed when he saw how the family met her outside the house. They seemed to crowd her, to ‘encourage’ her to another part of the streets, somewhere much quieter than where they were, before they began their attack. They had promised to eliminate her, to make her pay for her betrayal and now they took advantage of the opportunity before them. Crawford was glad to have been following as he had managed to call for guards to help before they kept their word. He had gotten there just as Marinette fell to the floor, beaten, a deep wound in her gut, the two guards with her clearly gone; the family dragging out her suffering as much as they could to make her pay. The guards Crawford brought with him had managed to rush in, taking hold of the three men and restraining them quickly, before they could do any more damage to her, as Crawford scooped her up gently and rushed to get her back to the house.

He rushed into the home in a blind panic, fearful that he was going to lose her they had only just truly started to get close, but his mother acted fast and called a doctor to come help her. They had managed to keep her alive, keeping pressure on the larger wound and tried to wake her so they could talk, but they knew she was in danger of losing her life. When the doctor came he demanded the young man leave the room, Crawford having refused to leave her side at first after telling him everything, so he could do what he needed to in order to save the teenager’s life. The doctor worked hard, closing the worst wounds, giving pain relief where he could, checking where bruises were forming on her skin and did everything he could. Once he was done, he told the family it was down to her now, that she would need to fight to survive and that he wished Crawford the best. Hearing that it was now in her hands had Crawford worried, would she believe she had something to fight for, would she know he was there for her and that he wanted her to survive, and once again he barely left her side as she lay in the spare bedroom. 

It had taken nearly a whole day for her to wake from the deep slumber none had been able to rouse her from and Crawford couldn’t help the wide smile on his face. Spending the hours beside her, wondering if she would survive or not, had made him truly realise just how much she meant to him, how much he cared about her, and how he didn’t want to think of a world where he had to be without her. Even though she was awake he still barely spent time away, making sure to bring her books, sit beside her bed with his documents to work on, would bring food up to her so she could rest when she needed, and enjoyed taking time to help her; changing the bandage on her wound as and when it was needed or giving pain relief as prescribed by the doctor. Something more had bubbled up within him as he had seen her hurt and that was his anger at what had happened to her. He was furious at the family that had attacked her, at the rumours they continued to spread which led her to them and he swore he wouldn’t be weak again. If they wanted him to be like that, they wanted him to be cruel and harsh and cold, then he would become that to the rest of the world in order to protect her. He had guards begin to investigate more possible members of the Assassin’s Order, had them gather everything they could about them, made it his purpose to eliminate them and make those who had attacked his family fear him and the repercussions for attacking him.

Even as Marinette got better and became more active he continued his work, continued to find the organisation that had hunted them, and swore his children would be kept from it, would be free from the burden of such a dangerous life seeing what Marinette had gone through. He had kept his actions from Marinette, his own investigations into the Assassin’s Order possibly upsetting her, until she had come across his research in the library and confront him. She hadn’t wanted that, hadn’t wanted him to take revenge, but he never wanted to be seen as weak again now that he had her to protect and if they were too scared to attack then that was better for all of them.


End file.
